Charging a metal plate/piece of metal with capacitor

In summary, the conversation discusses different methods for charging a metal plate or piece of metal with a capacitor. The methods mentioned include charging by conduction, friction, and induction, but the individual would like to explore another method. It is suggested to charge the capacitor to a high voltage and then connect the negative or positive pin to the metal plate, resulting in the plate being charged. The conversation also touches on the importance of maximizing capacitance and voltage for the most efficient charge placement on the plate.
  • #1
vhb mo
6
0
Hi all,
I have a question about charging a meta plate or a piece of metal with a capacitor. I need to charge a plate to negative or positive and search for some methods. I know charging by Conduction, Friction and Induction. I would like to use another method. I want to charge a capacitor (E.g. 1000 uF) and then connect the negative (or positive) pin to the metal plate or a piece of metal. In this case I think the the metal or plate should be negatively (or positively) charged. Can some one tell me is this way correct? In this case does that metal (or plate) charge?

Thanks
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Hi mo, :welcome:

Answer: yes, provided you do something sensible with the other 'pin' :smile: Can you understand what ? Make a sketch of the situation.
 
  • #3
BvU said:
Hi mo, :welcome:

Answer: yes, provided you do something sensible with the other 'pin' :smile: Can you understand what ? Make a sketch of the situation.

Thanks for your response, The other pin should be connected to ground. Am I right?
 
  • #4
vhb mo said:
Thanks for your response, The other pin should be connected to ground. Am I right?
I did like the attached pic. The voltage of DC power supply is 30 v. I think I should increase the voltage to transfer more charges.
 

Attachments

  • plate.jpg
    plate.jpg
    7.3 KB · Views: 406
  • #5
vhb mo said:
Thanks for your response, The other pin should be connected to ground. Am I right?
Yes. And then the metal plate gets a potential wrt ground. BAsically you are then connecting two capacitors in parallel. Since the capacity of a metal plate wrt ground is generally pretty small (1 m2 at 1 cm from ground = 0.09 ##\mu##F) the voltage remaining on capacitor and plate will be a large fraction (##C_1\over C_1+C_2##) of the original voltage on the capacitor.

Picture I had in mind:

upload_2017-2-17_15-45-31.png
 

Attachments

  • upload_2017-2-17_15-44-48.png
    upload_2017-2-17_15-44-48.png
    876 bytes · Views: 472
  • upload_2017-2-17_15-45-20.png
    upload_2017-2-17_15-45-20.png
    1.3 KB · Views: 483
  • Like
Likes vhb mo
  • #6
BvU said:
Yes. And then the metal plate gets a potential wrt ground. BAsically you are then connecting two capacitors in parallel. Since the capacity of a metal plate wrt ground is generally pretty small (1 m2 at 1 cm from ground = 0.09 ##\mu##F) the voltage remaining on capacitor and plate will be a large fraction (##C_1\over C_1+C_2##) of the original voltage on the capacitor.

Picture I had in mind:

View attachment 113346
Thanks, How about choosing a small cap close to the plate capacitor. E.g. 100 nF cap. I think this can transfer more charges to the plate.
 
  • #7
Length of connections doesn't come into the calculation !
 
  • #8
BvU said:
Length of connections doesn't come into the calculation !
No No, I do not talk about the length. I talk about the amount of the capacitors. I mean that I change the amount of charged capacitor (100 nF) to the value close to the capacity of the plate to ground (90 nF).
 
  • #9
vhb mo said:
How about choosing a small cap close to the plate capacitor
Ah, you meant:
choosing a small capicitor with a capacitance close to the plate capacitance

Well, the case is:

Before connecting you have a charge ##Q = C_1V_0## if ##C_1## on the capacitor if ##C_1## is its capacitance.

After connecting, that charge is distributed over capacitor and plate until the potential ##V_1## on capacitor and plate is identical (they are connected by a wire), so if ##C_{\rm plate}## is the capacitance of the plate, you have $$ C_1 V_0 = Q = C_1 V_1 + C_{\rm plate} V_1 $$ whereby ##V_1 = V_0 {C_1\over C_1+ C_{\rm plate} }## so $$ Q_{\rm plate} = C_{\rm plate} V_1 = C_{\rm plate} {V_0 C_1 \over C_1+ C_{\rm plate} } \approx {C_{\rm plate} V_0} \quad {\rm if }\ \ C_1 >> C_{\rm plate} $$
whereas this would be ##\approx C_{\rm plate} V_0/2 \quad {\rm if }\ \ C_1 \approx C_{\rm plate} ##
 
  • #10
How you should charge the plate will be decided by why you want to charge it.
Remember that capacitance, C = Q / V.

To place the maximum charge, Q = C·V on the plate, you need to maximise C and V. So use the maximum plate area with the minimum gap to ground, then charge it with the highest voltage available.

For maximum voltage, V = Q / C, you need to maximise Q while minimising C. But there is a parametric multiplication trick that can be used. Once the plate is charged, the charge will remain fixed because it has no where to flow, then dV = Q / dC. So charge the plate as before, with the minimum separation to the maximum voltage, then increase the separation of the plate from ground, which will reduce the capacitance and so multiply the voltage beyond that used initially to charge it.
 
  • #11
Balun's advice is good. But now I wonder why
vhb mo said:
I need to charge a plate
i.e. what's the goal of this exercise ?
 
  • #12
BvU said:
Ah, you meant:
choosing a small capicitor with a capacitance close to the plate capacitance

Well, the case is:

Before connecting you have a charge ##Q = C_1V_0## if ##C_1## on the capacitor if ##C_1## is its capacitance.

After connecting, that charge is distributed over capacitor and plate until the potential ##V_1## on capacitor and plate is identical (they are connected by a wire), so if ##C_{\rm plate}## is the capacitance of the plate, you have $$ C_1 V_0 = Q = C_1 V_1 + C_{\rm plate} V_1 $$ whereby ##V_1 = V_0 {C_1\over C_1+ C_{\rm plate} }## so $$ Q_{\rm plate} = C_{\rm plate} V_1 = C_{\rm plate} {V_0 C_1 \over C_1+ C_{\rm plate} } \approx {C_{\rm plate} V_0} \quad {\rm if }\ \ C_1 >> C_{\rm plate} $$
whereas this would be ##\approx C_{\rm plate} V_0/2 \quad {\rm if }\ \ C_1 \approx C_{\rm plate} ##
Baluncore said:
How you should charge the plate will be decided by why you want to charge it.
Remember that capacitance, C = Q / V.

To place the maximum charge, Q = C·V on the plate, you need to maximise C and V. So use the maximum plate area with the minimum gap to ground, then charge it with the highest voltage available.

For maximum voltage, V = Q / C, you need to maximise Q while minimising C. But there is a parametric multiplication trick that can be used. Once the plate is charged, the charge will remain fixed because it has no where to flow, then dV = Q / dC. So charge the plate as before, with the minimum separation to the maximum voltage, then increase the separation of the plate from ground, which will reduce the capacitance and so multiply the voltage beyond that used initially to charge it.

Thanks both, Well I think to another way. Preparing another layer and make a capacitor to charge the both layers and then separate them to have 2 charged layers. Please see the attached pic. In this case the amount of charges on the plates goes higher because the amount of capacitance goes higher.

BvU said:
Balun's advice is good. But now I wonder why
i.e. what's the goal of this exercise ?
I am a technology developer of a company and our technology should be improved to fulfill the market requirements. :)
 

Attachments

  • vhb.jpg
    vhb.jpg
    6 KB · Views: 398
Last edited:
  • #13
vhb mo said:
I am a technology developer of a company and our technology should be improved to fulfill the market requirements. :)
Of course, I should have known :smile:
Is it clear Balun's recipe gets you lots of potential, whereas your idea gets you lots of charge ? From your wording I suppose the latter is the goal, right ?

As the wise man said: it's all about Q = CV and keeping an eye on which of these is conserved under a change in the configuration
 
  • #14
BvU said:
Of course, I should have known :smile:
Is it clear Balun's recipe gets you lots of potential, whereas your idea gets you lots of charge ? From your wording I suppose the latter is the goal, right ?

As the wise man said: it's all about Q = CV and keeping an eye on which of these is conserved under a change in the configuration

Yes you are write, I will test it tomorrow and see the results. The problem is how to convince the business part to do it because they are always saying keep the price issues in your mind. Well I should remove the bottleneck! and it brings some costs. let's see. ;)
 

Related to Charging a metal plate/piece of metal with capacitor

1. How does charging a metal plate with a capacitor work?

When a capacitor is connected to a metal plate or piece of metal, it creates an electric field between the two objects. This electric field causes electrons to move from one object to the other, resulting in a build-up of charge on the metal plate.

2. What is the purpose of charging a metal plate with a capacitor?

The purpose of charging a metal plate with a capacitor is to store electrical energy. This stored energy can be used for various purposes, such as powering electronic devices or as a backup power source.

3. Can any type of metal be charged with a capacitor?

Yes, any type of metal can be charged with a capacitor as long as it is a good conductor of electricity. Metals such as copper, aluminum, and gold are commonly used for charging with capacitors.

4. How long does it take to charge a metal plate with a capacitor?

The time it takes to charge a metal plate with a capacitor depends on the capacitance of the capacitor and the voltage applied. Generally, it takes a few seconds to fully charge a metal plate with a capacitor.

5. Is it safe to touch a metal plate that has been charged with a capacitor?

No, it is not safe to touch a metal plate that has been charged with a capacitor. The charge on the metal plate can cause an electric shock, which can be dangerous. It is important to discharge the capacitor before touching the metal plate.

Similar threads

  • Electromagnetism
Replies
16
Views
758
  • Electromagnetism
Replies
14
Views
610
Replies
4
Views
6K
  • Electromagnetism
Replies
18
Views
1K
Replies
9
Views
644
  • Electromagnetism
Replies
18
Views
1K
Replies
8
Views
1K
Replies
7
Views
1K
Replies
101
Views
7K
Back
Top